It Doesn't Have to End Like This
by lolagirl
Summary: Hermione Granger is forced to live the same day over and over until she can somehow change the day’s events and alter fate – and save the life of her sworn enemy, Draco Malfoy.


**Author's Note:** Okay, so...here's the deal. I've taken a LONG hiatus from writing fan fiction, mainly due to the fact I got a bit bored of the whole Harry Potter scene, and also because I've been devoting a lot of my time to writing my own original novel. I started writing another fan fic, "Invisible Monsters", a few months ago, which I am ashamed to say I seem to have abandoned - mostly because I had NO idea where it was going. Plus, it was going to be angsty, angsty, and I'd pretty much worn out my angstyness (is that a word?) with "A World Apart". So yeah, I know what you are all thinking: "Ohhh, lolagirl has uploaded yet another story that she won't finish. YAWN." However, this story actually came to mind before "Invisible Monsters", and I have no idea why I never did anything with it. I would really, really love to continue with it if I can. I plan on working on this story whenever I get writer's block writing my original story (I get writer's block a LOT). It might be kind of fun to write, although it will probably take some serious plotting.

And I know, I know, this chapter is so incredibly short. Not even a thousand words. But it's a prologue. I know you can't tell whether or not the story is going to be good by a really short prologue, so I will love anyone who makes it to the next chapter (which already has nearly two thousand words written, so YAY). Oh gosh, this author's note is so long. Anyway, please let me know if this story is worth continuing at all!

**Disclaimer:** It would be so cool to own Harry Potter.

* * *

**Prologue**

Draco Malfoy was dying, and there was not a thing she could do about it.

The look of terror on his face was intense and raw. It was out of character for him, as it seemed to be a rule amongst the Malfoy men that they do not show any sort of emotion at all. However, the fear he was expressing at the moment was undeniable. It was quite apparent that the boy did not want to die, but that he knew he was going to anyway – a terrible revelation for anyone, even a heartless git such as himself.

And she couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of sympathy for him.

She leaned over him and gently brought her hand to the side of his face, but he quickly brushed it away. Not even in his final moments did he want her touching him, even if it would provide him with the slightest bit of comfort.

"Leave…me…alone, m-mudblood," he hissed through clenched teeth. The act of speaking made him wince in pain. His breath came in short, harsh gasps as he struggled to obtain as much oxygen as he could. A small droplet of blood emerged from the corner of his mouth as he moved his head. He stared straight up at the sky with glazed eyes, and for a brief moment she wondered if he was gone. But a coughing spasm soon after told her that he was still alive. Although for how much longer, she had no idea.

"Malfoy," she said urgently, ignoring his dismissal. "You need to hang on, okay? You're going to be fine, you just need to hang on." She glanced up at the crowd that had formed a circle around them. Draco's friends stared down with expressions of shock and concern, while everyone else donned expressions of curiosity and confusion – her own two best friends not excluded. In fact, _they_ probably looked the most perplexed of anyone there.

What, exactly, had caused him to just fall out of the sky like that? One moment, he'd been flying around on his Quidditch broom, seemingly without a care in the world; the next, he had simply…fallen off. He had been quite high up when it happened, so it was likely he was suffering a few broken bones – nothing that Madam Pomfrey wouldn't be able to heal. However, the longer he lay there unattended, the less likely he would be to survive. And from the looks of it, he was fading quickly.

"Did somebody go get Madam Pomfrey?" she asked, glancing up at the surrounding students. A few of the kids shrugged, while others exchanged questioning glances with one another.

"I said, did somebody go get Madam Pomfrey?" she asked a little louder. She noticed that her voice shook slightly as she spoke. She couldn't quite explain why, and she hoped that nobody else had detected it. It was possible that someone might construe her wavering voice as meaning she was concerned about Draco Malfoy's well-being. That was the last thing she wanted anyone to think. Especially her friends.

"I, uh…I don't think anyone has gone for her yet," one of the students finally answered sheepishly. The others began to mumble in agreement.

"Well what the hell are you all waiting for?" she yelled, waving her arms around frantically. "Malfoy is seriously hurt here!" She pointed to one of the other boys. "You, go get her – _now!_"

The boy nodded emphatically, immediately turning on his heel and running off the field.

She glanced back down at Draco, whose eyes were half closed. His lips were moving slightly, as if he were speaking words that only he could hear. She didn't dare lean in any closer to try to listen, figuring he would just use the last bit of strength he had to push her away. However, she was given no choice when suddenly he reached out, grabbing her forearm tightly, and pulling her down to him, so that her ear was adjacent to his mouth.

He whispered to her quietly…softly. He spoke the words as audibly as he could, and although she could understand each and every one, she instantly lifted her head and stared down at him in confusion.

_What had those words meant?_

She was not even given the opportunity to ask. Slowly, the boy lying on the ground before her closed his eyes. The grip on her arm loosened as his hand fell away, and she could hear the last bit of air as it escaped his lungs.

Draco Malfoy was dead.

And that was the last thing she remembered, before her entire world became black.


End file.
